


the threads of many miracles

by fandomnerd



Category: Naruto
Genre: (with occasional help from Ridiculously Proud Grandpa!Jiraiya), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Pairings to be determined later, Tsunade Raises Naruto, as this is first and foremost about family, im on team Give Naruto Parents Goddammit, please dear god someone raise this child, the jiraiya/tsunade is a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:30:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomnerd/pseuds/fandomnerd
Summary: in which the adults in naruto's life don't TOTALLY fail him. because this boy needs some goddamn parents.or: instead of growing up alone and hated with no one to take care of him, jiriaya and tsunade actually step up and do their goddamned jobs as godfather and last known living family member.





	1. in which jiraiya acquires a baby

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i'm gonna be honest, i haven't written naruto fic since 2009 and i CANNOT BELIEVE i am writing naruto fic in this, the year 2017. but while i have been salty about Many Things in my time in naruto fandom (some of which are more recent than others *coughborutocough*), very few things make me more angry than the many ways in which LITERALLY EVERYONE in naruto's life has failed him. there are so many adults who could've stepped up and helped him, and none of them did. and that rage and frustration expressed itself as this fic, which all but flew out of my brain without my permission.
> 
> on a smilar note: i know this particular genre of fic is Super Overdone. trust me, i know, i have been reading this genre of naruto fic since i was 13, which is why i can say with absolute honesty that i am _so sick_ of fics where naruto gets adopted/raised by someone and it totally changes his personality/skillset/etc. so there will be none of that here. tsunade's gonna raise this tiny ball of sunshine, and he's gonna be the same doofus with a huge heart and huger chakra reserves that he is in canon. he's not gonna be a medical ninja, and he's not gonna magically get fantastic chakra control or be good at being polite or have the mokuton, so if you're looking for that, this is not the fic for you.
> 
> however, if you're looking for fic where the sweetheart of a boy in canon who deserved unconditional love and support from parental figures actually GETS that, by all means, keep reading.
> 
>  
> 
> (title from the english translation of Cascade by UNLIMITS)

Sarutobi was at a loss. Minato, the young prodigy and war hero who had carried the mantle of Hokage for just a few short years, was dead. As was his equally young and beloved wife. And all that was left of their legacy was a squalling newborn child, with the mightiest of the Bijū sealed into him.

To make matters worse, the damage to the village was massive, as was the amount of casualties. Sarutobi knew that, at least for the time being, he’d have to step back into his role as Hokage, to mitigate the damage if nothing else. But he was old, and they’d have to find a replacement sooner or later—privately, he hoped it would be the former rather than the latter.

In the meantime, he had to do the immediate damage control, and find someone to take care of the infant he cradled in his arms. And he had to figure out _what_ exactly he was going to do about that situation; it wouldn’t do for the village to dishonor Minato and Kushina’s legacy, but it would be a fine balancing act between honoring their wishes and keeping young Naruto safe.

At the very least, he had to have Jiraiya check Naruto’s seal. Not to make sure it was functional—Sarutobi had the utmost confidence in Minato’s abilities, especially considering he had studied fuinjutsu under Kushina’s mother, Uzumaki Akane, one of the only surviving seal masters of the Uzumaki clan. Or at least, she had been—she and her husband had both been unfortunate casualties of the Third War.

He directed his gaze at a nearby ANBU guard. “Go to the communications corps and tell them to send their fastest messenger bird to Jiraiya. Tell him he must return to Konoha immediately.”

He returned his gaze to the newborn in his arms, and sighed. He was much too old for this.

\--

Jiraiya was not in a great mood, upon returning to Konoha. He’d been making great strides with his…….research, with some particularly lovely ladies in Kanzashi Gai. His stamp card at the brothel was almost full, and by the time he got back, the promotion would be over. He’d even managed to drink enough that for a few days, the fact that both his teammates had abandoned the village they’d sworn to protect (granted, for very different reasons, but still) _wasn’t_ a constant ache in his ribcage. In fact, there had been an entire hour where he’d managed nearly to forget entirely!

But a summons from his sensei overrode almost anything else. Damn Sarutobi-sensei could just be assured he would be getting an _earful_ from Jiraiya.

Then again…Jiraiya wouldn’t be worth half his salt as a Spymaster if he hadn’t heard the rumors coming out of Konoha. Talk had only started a day or two ago, but people were talking about some sort of monster attack. Word was that Minato had defeated it—which filled him with a warm glow of pride—but he figured there was no point in believing unsubstantiated rumors. After all, if it had been a big deal, Minato would have written him.

With that in mind, when he’d received his sensei’s correspondence, he’d packed and started heading back for Konoha immediately, grumpiness notwithstanding.

It took him just under two days to arrive; when he finally did, the extent of the damage to the village stopped him in place. He gaped for a moment, heart sinking, and took off for the unblemished beacon of the Hokage tower at full speed.

When he arrived, the scene was. Not what he had expected.

For one thing, Sarutobi-sensei was behind the Hokage’s desk, instead of Minato. For another, there was a baby in a crib in the corner. And lastly, the tiniest ANBU member he had ever seen was hovering protectively in front of the crib. Jiraiya noticed the silver hair peaking out over the top of the mask, and realized it must be Minato’s prodigy brat.

“Sensei! The great Jiraiya has ARRIVED. And not that it’s not great to see you, and I know you sent the messenger, but what exactly are you doing in my precious student’s chair?”

The Sandaime took a deep drag from his pipe, and sighed heavily. “Jiraiya, my boy…you knew Kushina was pregnant, yes?”

Jiraiya pretended to think about it and stroked his chin. “Kushina…Kushina…..ah! Minato’s lovely wife, right? Yes, I know all about it—they even made me godfather! Can you believe it? They’re naming their son after the main character of my book.”

Sarutobi-sensei smiled, though it looked as if it had taken him a great effort. “Jiraya, Kushina gave birth four days ago. And when she did, the kyūbi escaped—despite our precautions and Minato’s efforts to maintain her seal. I suspect outside interference—especially as the ANBU guards I sent and…my dear Biwako…were all killed _before_ the Kyūbi escaped. And I _know_ I saw someone else there, but he left too quickly, and he was well shrouded in a black cloak and mask. Unfortunately, I have no physical evidence of any of this.”

This new information, combined with the current circumstances of their conversation and the rumors he had heard, were coming together to paint a _particularly_ unpleasant picture. “Sensei—“

The Sandaime put up a hand. “Let me finish first, please. The kyūbi went on a rampage within the walls of the village, but Minato-kun managed to draw it away. By the time I arrived, it was too late—Minato had erected a barrier, and had already performed the Shiki Fūin, to seal half of the kyūbi’s chakra into himself. He and Kushina had both been impaled by one of the kyūbi’s claws, seemingly in an attempt to prevent it from harming the third person there: their newborn son, Naruto.”

Jiraiya’s eyes bugged out, but he made a concerted effort to contain himself.

“Before the Shinigami claimed Minato’s soul, he performed the Hakke Fūin, and sealed the remainder of its chakra into Naruto. By the time I was able to break through the barrier and reach them, both Minato and Kushina had passed on.”

Jiraiya could _feel_ himself shutting down. He couldn’t process it. Minato had been the closest thing he had to a son, and a son should _never_ die before his father. A student should never die before his teacher…

“And what about Naruto? I imagine that’s him in that crib over there, unless you’ve somehow acquired a _different_ baby that would need your personal care, along with that of Minato’s prized student.”

At the mention of Naruto, his ANBU guard shifted even closer to the baby, and Jiraiya was sure that underneath his ANBU mask and his facemask, his expression was as fiercely protective as his body language.

“Ahh…Naruto-chan’s circumstances are complicated. The council cannot agree what to do with the boy, and it has been tremendously difficult just keeping him out of Danzo’s hands. So until we can find a permanent guardian for him, I’ve been keeping him under my direct supervision at all times, and have had an around-the-clock protection detail on him as well.”

Jiraiya held back a snarl. Minato’s body was hardly cold yet, and those damned geezers were already squabbling over petty power struggles, as if Naruto wasn’t the only thing left of him, as if he wasn’t Minato’s _legacy_ …

He reined himself in. Raging about the council at Sarutobi-sensei wouldn’t help anything. “So what did you need from me, Sensei?”

“Several things. For one, as you’ve said, you are Naruto’s godfather. I have quite a lot of work to do in organizing rebuilding efforts and dealing with the council and civilians and the clan heads—I simply lack the time and ability to take care of Naruto on top of my other responsibilities. I need you to take care of him—at least for the next few weeks.”

Jiraiya gulped. “Ah, Sensei, when Minato and Kushina made me godfather…I think they were hoping I’d take more of a teacher-role later on, once he’s grown up a bit. I’m not great with babies.”

Hiruzen leveled Jiraiya with an unamused look. “Whatever their hopes were, they’ve passed them on now. You do not have the luxury of swooping in later to teach him—he needs at least a temporary guardian right _now_ , and there is no one but you who can do it!” He slammed his fist on the desk for good measure.

Jiraiya sighed. “I get it, Sensei, though I really don’t think I’m the best one for this job…but what else did you need me to do? You said ‘several things.’”

The Sandaime nodded. “Along those lines: while you are looking after young Naruto, and preferably sooner rather than later, please look over the seal Minato-kun used. I have complete faith in him, but nevertheless, I would rest easier knowing that everything went well and there are no faults with the seal.”

Jiraiya smirked. “Seals? Now that I can do! I’ll look over it as soon as I can. Anything else?”

Hiruzen stared at him, unfazed by Jiraiya’s weak attempt at levity. “I have two missions for you: one short-term, and one long-term. In the short term, you must find Tsunade and convince her to come back to the village, even if only for long enough to heal the wounded from the attack. Our Medical Corps is doing the best it can, but without her, the death toll could still be incredibly high. She should come back for the funeral, regardless. She and Kushina were cousins, after all…”

“I understand. I’ll see if I can track her down, but you know she won’t want to come back to the village.”

Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, and exhaled a long slow stream of smoke. “I know. Do whatever it takes, Jiraiya.”

Jiraiya nodded resolutely. “I’ll bring her back, Sensei."

Hiruzen gave Jiraiya an exhausted but genuine smile. He seemed so much older and more worn down than he had the last time Jiraiya had seen him. “I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that your other mission, once you have brought Tsunade home, is to go track down any information you can on the mysterious shinobi behind all of this.”

Jiraiya gave his old teacher a humorless smile. “No need to ask me twice, Sensei.”

“Good. Good. Now, I know you’ve only just arrived, but the sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll find Tsunade, and the more lives we can save. I took the liberty of having Kakashi-kun prepare a go-bag for Naruto, with formula and diapers and the like.” The Sandaime nodded to the ANBU guard, who sighed at having his identity revealed (despite how easily recognizable he’d been already), and removed his ANBU mask. He nodded politely at Jiraiya, although his gaze remained wary, and he continued to hover protectively over Naruto.

Jiraiya approached, and Kakashi stiffened slightly. “Minato-sensei put me in charge of protecting Kushina-san and Naruto as soon as he found out she was pregnant. Rest assured I will continue to protect Naruto. From anyone and anything.” Kakashi didn’t look like he wanted Jiraiya to rest assured. He looked like he would like nothing more than to be permitted to tell Jiraiya to fuck off.

Luckily, Jiraiya liked that kind of attitude. It made it so much fun to mess with the kid. Or at least, it would under normal circumstances. His heart wasn't much in it at the moment. For appearances' sake, though, he pasted a wide smile onto his face and ruffled Kakashi’s hair, causing the fourteen-year-old boy to squawk with indignation.

Reaching into the crib and picking up baby Naruto, however, transformed the teasing expression into a much gentler one. Jiraiya was terrified of babies and No Good At Them besides (which Sarutobi-sensei really should’ve remembered, considering just how poorly the few babysitting D-ranks their team went on had gone), but baby Naruto already looked so much like Minato and Kushina, and as soon as Naruto blinked those huge blue eyes at him, he was a goner.

Naruto didn’t even fuss as Jiraiya picked him up, merely blinking sleepily at Jiraiya, and then snuggling into his arms. The kid was so _small_ , Jiraiya could almost lose him in the sleeves of his shirt. He poked Naruto’s soft little cheek, and Naruto went wide-eyed, gurgling happily. Jiraiya couldn’t have stopped the grin spreading across his face if the success of an S-ranked mission had been depending on it.

When he looked up, Kakashi had relaxed his stance slightly, and Sarutobi-sensei was smiling at him in that embarrassing “oh look at my precious student isn’t he so cute? I’m so proud of him,” way that had been making Jiraiya needlessly defensive about his manliness since he was twelve years old.

Jiraiya cleared his throat and tried to stand up taller. “Uh, anyway. That go bag? I need it, and should probably get going.”

Kakashi nodded, and disappeared with a quick body flicker. He reappeared almost before Jiraiya could register his absence, carrying a duffel bag. Jiraiya took it and slung it over his shoulder, nodding at both Kakashi and the Sandaime.

“I’ll be back with Tsunade as soon as I can.” Jiraiya said, cradling Naruto in one arm and gripping the strap of the duffel where it rested on his shoulder with the other.

“Safe travels,” Hiruzen said solemnly, “and come home quickly.”

Kakashi bowed his head slightly at Jiraiya, and raised his hand slightly, like he’d been planning to wave at Naruto, but had aborted the gesture before he could lift his hand the whole way.

And with that, Jiraiya turned and jumped out the window, off to find his favorite wayward teammate.


	2. in which tsunade raises some Really Good Points

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, folks! sorry about how long it's been since I last updated, but on the bright side, at least I _did_ update eventually, right???? and hey, look, I even got it out on mother's day, how thematically appropriate

When Tsunade had woken up that morning, she’d had no reason to anticipate anything other than a totally normal day. The sun was shining, she had no responsibilities, and she had a briefcase full of money to spend at the nearest gambling parlor. She had a day full of gambling, eating, and drinking to look forward to. She might even give some moneylenders the old runaround—that was always entertaining.

What she had _not_ anticipated, however, was Jiraiya walking into the izakaya she’d chosen to have lunch/afternoon sake in. Or that he would have what seemed to be an actual human baby, swaddled in an orange blanket, attached to him by some sort of makeshift sling. She felt her jaw drop.

Shizune, who had been sitting next to her, quietly reading a book about medicinal uses for various plants and herbs, hadn’t seemed to notice anything yet.

Tsunade stood suddenly, pointing at Jiraiya. “Jiraiya! What the hell are you doing here? Is that a baby?!”

Jiraiya, rather than shout back at her as he usually would, pulled a face she hadn’t seen since the days he would beg her behind Orochimaru’s back to keep quiet about his latest stupid prank. He rushed up to her, keeping a hand over what she assumed was the baby’s head. “Tsunade-hime, please, just a little quieter, I literally _just_ got him to stop crying.”

Tsunade dropped back into her seat, next to her apprentice, who had now noticed what was happening and was outright gaping at Jiraiya. Tsunade looked at her old teammate incredulously. “Why in the _world_ do you have a baby?”

Jiraiya scratched the back of his neck and gave a sheepish laugh. For a moment, they were twelve years old again, and she almost smiled. But then his expression turned serious, and she remembered that they were both almost 40 and no longer innocent, happy children. She downed a shot of sake as Jiraiya took the seat across from her. Had she been slightly more drunk, she might’ve missed the privacy seal he subtly activated as he sat down, but she wasn’t one of the Densetsu no Sannin for nothing.

“It’s a long story, but the short version is that Minato and Kushina were attacked just after Kushina gave birth. Some mysterious figure tried to use the kyūbi to attack Konoha. According to Sensei, Minato used the Shiki Fūin to seal half the kyūbi’s chakra into himself, and the Hakke Fūin to seal the other half into his son—that would be this little guy, Naruto.” Jiraiya gestured to the baby in his hands.

Shizune, not knowing much about sealing, didn’t quite understand the implications. Tsunade, however, bowed her head slightly. “Stupid, foolish man...” she muttered. She had never been especially close to Minato, but she and Kushina were cousins, and she knew exactly what heartache Kushina would be feeling right now.

“Ah, I’m not quite finished, Tsunade. Apparently, before they could complete the sealing, the kyūbi tried to kill Naruto—Kushina and Minato both threw themselves in front of the danger to save him, and Minato managed to finish the seal, but neither of them survived.”

Tsunade’s eyes went wide, but she composed herself before Shizune or Jiraiya could react. “I see.”

Jiraiya sighed heavily. “Before he managed to seal the kyūbi, it did go on something of a rampage in the village. Sensei wants you to come back and help out at the hospital.”

“Impossible. Not happening.”

“Tsunade, please. So far there are a lot more injuries than there are deaths, and your skills could make all the difference. It’s not like we’re asking for you to return permanently, or to take missions—just a few days, maybe a week.”

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Jiraiya. “I said no, Jiraiya.”

Jiraiya gave her an understanding look. “I know your reasons for not wanting to return, and I respect them, but innocent people—civilians, people who didn’t sign up to fight and die for their village, for _our_ village—are dying, and you could save them.”

She glared at him, not saying a word. He sighed. “Just think about it. Even if you don’t heal anyone, you should at least come home for the funeral. Kushina deserves that much from you, at least.”

Tsunade stood, dragging an apologetic Shizune behind her. “We’re done here.”

She didn’t look at Jiraiya as she left. She couldn’t.

 

\--

 

Tsunade couldn’t quite muster the energy to be surprised when Jiraiya showed up at her room at the local inn that night. The baby— _Naruto_ , she reminded herself, the name ringing familiar in her ears but unable to place where she’d heard it before (aside from the obvious ramen topping)—was once again strapped to Jiraiya’s shoulder in that makeshift sling. She had to admit, he was a pretty adorable baby.

Jiraiya stretched with a wide yawn, looking more worn out than she’d seen him in years.

Then again, she _hadn’t_ seen him in years.

“Jiraiya, I told you to leave me alone.”

“I know, Tsunade-hime, but this isn’t about the village. Not right now.”

She sighed and opened her door wider, allowing Jiraiya to enter her room.

“It’s weird seeing you so good with him, to be honest. You’ve never been one for babies—or at least, you weren’t back when we used to get D-rank babysitting missions.”

Jiraiya laughed lightly.

“Well, things change. I wasn’t great with him at first—me, taking care of a baby? I thought old age was finally getting to Sensei. But little Naruto and I bonded over the past few days. He’s mostly a pretty happy baby.”

As if he could tell they were talking about him, Naruto started fussing slightly in his blankets, and Jiraiya immediately started rocking him again, trying to soothe him.

“Aww, come on, Naru-chan, you were sleeping so good. What’s the matter, huh? You’ve been fed and changed, so what’s bothering you kid?”

Naruto just started fussing harder, looking ready to start up with a full-blown tantrum.

Tsunade sighed and plucked Naruto out of Jiraiya’s arms. Naruto settled immediately, snuggling into her chest as she rocked him. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of her heart, behind all the walls she’d erected to protect herself from heartache and loss, she felt warm affection begin to rekindle.

To distract herself from _that_ terrifying prospect, she fell back on old habits. Namely: making fun of Jiraiya.

“I guess not _that_ much has changed.”

Jiraiya accepted the teasing with his usual good humor.

“I see how it is. I spend days feeding, burping, changing, and carrying him, and the second he has the option of being held by a beautiful woman, he forgets all about me.” Jiraiya paused for dramatic effect, then fake-sniffled, a single dramatic tear spilling down his cheek. “I’m so proud.”

Tsunade rolled her eyes, well used to Jiraiya’s antics.

Instead of giving him the attention he was angling for, she looked back down at baby Naruto. He was so small, and honestly one of the cutest babies Tsunade had ever seen.

Tsunade wasn’t typically a baby person—sure, she had a decent bedside manner, and she didn’t _dislike_ kids, but babies were different. Intimidating, somehow. They were so small, so fragile, and so _vulnerable_ …she could hurt them so incredibly easily, without meaning to. It was terrifying.

Once, a long time ago, Tsunade had thought about having children—having children with Dan, with a partner who would be there for her and support her and they could raise their kids _together_ —but when Dan had died, so had those dreams.

Naruto tugged at a lock of her hair, jolting her out of her thoughts. He beamed a gummy grin up at her, blue eyes shining. Tsunade had to admit to being surprised that Naruto had ended up with Minato’s blonde hair and blue eyes, given the strength of the Uzumaki family genes. Despite the hair and eyes, though, and as much as she was certain that Jiraiya looked at Naruto and saw a miniature Minato clone, Tsunade couldn’t help but look at Naruto and see Kushina in the shape of his face, his features, his energy, even his chakra.

“I have to hand it to Minato and Kushina—they made one cute brat.”

“Of course they did! He’s my godson after all, he’s going to grow up to be incredibly handsome and charming.”

Tsunade snorted.

Jiraiya’s expression sobered slightly. “Actually, it’s good you’re holding him, Tsunade-hime. That's actually why I came tonight. I’ve checked over Minato’s work with the seals, and they’re flawless—a real work of art, considering it was a rush job—but I’ve never had the knack for iryō ninjutsu, and Konoha’s medic corps were too busy with trying to save everyone they could to give Naruto more than a cursory check…”

Tsunade’s palm had already lit up with green healing chakra before Jiraiya could even get to his request.

“Well, his chakra reserves are already ridiculous, considering he’s what—a couple of weeks old?”

“Ten days,” Jiraiya admitted.

“He’s going to grow up to be a real chakra powerhouse, that’s for sure. But aside from that, he’s totally healthy.” Tsunade stroked his soft little baby cheek with a single finger. “And these…birthmarks? He was born with them?”

Jiraiya shrugged. “I wasn’t there, I don’t know if they came before or after the kyūbi was sealed into him. But Kushina never had anything like them, so they’re probably birthmarks.”

Tsunade’s grip tightened on the tiny warm bundle. “So…what happens to him now?” She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you going to raise him? I can’t imagine you with a brat.”

“I’ll have you know Naruto and I bonded extremely well over the past week,” Jiraiya huffed. “He loves his Uncle Jiraiya.”

Tsuande laughed, albeit more quietly than she really wanted to, wary of upsetting the resting baby in her arms. “Come now, Jiraiya, we both know you’re more akin to his grandfather than anything else.”

“How dare you! I’m much too young and handsome to be a grandfather.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

He dropped the lighthearted act for a moment, looking at her seriously. “But really, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the kid. Konoha needs my services as a spymaster now more than ever, and I can’t exactly bring a baby with me on the solo missions I go on. Sarutobi-sensei is too old to take care of a baby, especially since Biwako-sama also passed on—“

Tsunade inhaled sharply. “Biwako-sama passed away? When?”

“Oh, right. I forgot to mention that part earlier. Apparently she was one of the few iryō ninjutsu specialists Sensei sent with Minato and Kushina to help them deliver the baby. They were all assassinated by the masked stranger.” 

Tsunade felt a cold hand grip her heart. She hadn’t always gotten along with their Sensei’s grumpy, stern wife, but Biwako-sama had been the one to teach Tsunade the basics of medicine and iryō ninjutsu, and she'd been a calm, logical, and most importantly _female_ voice that Tsunade could turn to, at the times when she couldn't confide in her male teammates or Sensei.

For the first time in years, Tsunade felt a pang of guilt. _If I had been there, I could have stopped this._ But that was her stupid, naïve, younger self talking—in reality, the only thing that would’ve happened had she been there was her own death, and probably Shizune’s too.

She closed her eyes, willing the warring thoughts in her head to disappear. “So who else could take him?”

Jiraiya hummed. “Minato’s brat student Kakashi seems eager enough, but he’s too young, and on the brink of a total emotional meltdown besides that. He’s just lost the last of his most precious people—he’s in no state to take care of a baby.”

“Is that really it? The only options for him are an old man, a kid, and _you_? Why aren’t the clans clamoring to adopt him? I know Minato and Kushina both had many friends among the clans…”

“Apparently, no one knows Naruto is Minato and Kushina’s son. I don’t _totally_ agree with Sensei on this, but he’s decreed that Naruto’s parents are to be an SS-ranked secret until he makes Chūnin, in case Kumo or Iwa decide the best revenge on Minato is going after his son.”

Tsunade arched an eyebrow. “Well that’s idiotic. Sure, don’t go spreading it around, but even their closest friends can’t know?"

A thought occurred to her, and she shook her head, backtracking.

“You know what? Scratch that. Being able to tell them _now_ doesn’t matter. They all knew Minato and Kushina were together. Even  _I_ remember how blatantly he used to moon over her, and neither of them were the type who could keep it a secret that they were together. If nothing else, there was no way Kushina would've been able to keep her pregnancy a secret. So how did an entire generation of good shinobi not figure this out?”

Jiraiya winced. “Well, they may or may not all think that Kushina’s baby died with Kushina. And that Minato picked a random orphan to seal the kyūbi into. And that he named him after the son that he was _going_ to have. And Sensei may have also told the village about Naruto’s, uh, tenant, in the hopes that they’d treat him like a hero.”

Tsunade did her absolute very best to tamp down the killing intent that threatened to burst from her every pore, not wanting to scare Naruto. Still, she shot Jiraiya the deadliest glare she could muster, and took satisfaction in the way he flinched back.

“You mean to tell me that our senile old geezer of a Sensei decided it was a good idea to let _everyone_ know that he’s a Jinchūriki—which, historically, people _do not react well to_ —but not any information about his parents that might _protect him from their ire_?”

“I _did_ say that I didn’t agree with Sensei!”

“Then you should have convinced him otherwise, idiot!”

"Most of it was in code on the mission scroll, and I didn't even know until I'd left to find you! We didn't exactly have time for a long chat when I picked the kid up!"

At their raised voices, Naruto started to stir again, making unhappy noises. Tsunade stroked his hair, rocking him softly. “Oh, honey, no, I’m sorry, you’re fine, everything’s fine, I was just mad at your moron of a godfather. Ssh, go back to sleep.”

Naruto smiled and snuggled back in. A moment later, she felt a tugging at her neck, and noticed that he’d grabbed onto her necklace, looking at it with big shiny eyes.

She felt the warmth from earlier flare brighter, along with an accompanying pang of fear.

She shut her eyes, breathing deeply.

 _I guess I really am still an idiot, after all, huh? But...just one more time, I’d like to try caring about someone again_.

Her eyes snapped open, her gaze steelier and more determined than Jiraiya had seen in years.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, Jiraiya. Shizune and I will accompany you back to Konoha for the funeral, and I will…do what I can for the injured. But _I’m_ taking Naruto, when this is over. If anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with me.”

For the first time since he arrived, his face split into one of his real, true smiles—not his goofy grin, or a lecherous smirk, but a genuine expression of relief and gratitude.

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”


End file.
